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Writing on Twitter, Alasdair Gold has revealed why Jose Mourinho is ‘so happy’ after Tottenham managed to land the ‘very exciting’ signing of Joe Rodon, with the journalist outlining what he has been told ‘behind the scenes’.

Indeed, as per Football.London, Mourinho is happy with the Welshman’s signing, especially with Daniel Levy’s seventh summer signing bringing balance to the team defensively along with the plethora of additions in more forward positions.

Gold issues Rodon breakdown

Mourinho confirmed in a press conference he is feeling positive ahead of Tottenham’s return to Premier League action against West Ham, and those feelings have only been exacerbated by the crucial development of Rodon’s arrival, according to Gold.

West Ham build up

As Spurs gear up for their home match against the Hammers, while Rodon won’t be able to feature due to him signing after the matchday deadline, supporters will surely have one eye on Mourinho’s team sheet to check for Gareth Bale.

The 31-year-old, who apparently played a prominent role in bringing Rodon to Hotspur Way, has been teased by both the club and Mourinho over a potential cameo this afternoon. Meanwhile, fellow summer signing Carlos Vinicius also looks set to feature from the bench, and Lilywhites could well see him come on midway through the match to give Harry Kane a rest.

Gold confirmed that the Englishman would start ahead of Vinicius, but given his fitness issues on international duty, it’s potentially unlikely he’ll stay on until the final whistle.

Transfer Tavern take

Bearing Mourinho’s excitement in mind, it looks as if Spurs supporters can feel even more optimistic about the season ahead for their club.

Spurs fans, will Joe Rodon feature regularly under Mourinho this season? Have your say in the comments section below…

Everton’s chances of clinching a new striker this summer have been boosted and the Toffees have even been tipped to shift an outcast in the process.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Rangers are ‘braced for bids’ for their leading talisman, Alfredo Morelos and it appears they are willing to let him depart for just £12m.

The article goes on to list possible replacements, one of which being Moise Kean, who could be used as a pawn to soften the blow to Steven Gerrard’s side.

They claim that a loan switch would be “smart” for both teams but whilst Everton are keen on the Colombian striker, it remains to be seen if anything will happen involving their own controversial forward.

Ancelotti has previously stated that Kean would be part of the set-up next season.

Bargain

Morelos is an interesting target to consider for the Merseysiders.

On the one hand, he’s provided Gers with 29 goals and ten assists this season, but on the other hand, he’ll arrive with plenty of disciplinary baggage – in some ways just like Kean.

Plenty of pundits have used the term “liability” over the 24-year-old’s conduct, but perhaps comments from his boss Steven Gerrard ring closer to the truth, given he sees him day-to-day.

After their 2-0 win over Porto in the Europa League, the former Reds legend was full of praise for Morelos, saying: “I will never get bored of talking about him. He is a top player and I can’t describe how much I enjoy working with him. He’s a massive, massive asset to this club.”

Whilst one of Morelos’ old teammates Andy Haliday recently lauded him for being an “unbelievable goalscorer”

Since the return to Premier League action last month, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has fired a blank, failing to find the net and with Kean still adapting to England, a swoop for Morelos would be a rather smart move.

Especially given his availability at just £12m, this is a bargain. It should be a no-brainer for Marcel Brands. If there’s anyone who can iron out the attitude problems, then it has to be Ancelotti.

AND in other news, Everton can fill that Gueye void with £36m swoop for midfield enforcer

Name: Joelson Fernandes

Club: Sporting Lisbon

Date of Birth: 28 February 2003

Position: Winger (left, right)

JOELSON FERNANDES – HIS CAREER SO FAR

Joelson Fernandes is among the young players who are dubbed to become one of the next big things in football. Of course, not much can yet be concluded about him since he is, after all, only 17 years of age. But the way his career has started, it’s easy to see why clubs just may wrestle for his signature in the not so distant future. In fact, it seems that he’s already popped up on some of the European giants’ radar and a transfer away from Portugal may be on the cards soon.

The youngster’s youth career began in Sporting’s academy and since the path towards the first team, and then potentially to stardom, is strikingly similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, the media have already started the comparisons with the Portuguese superstar. Of course, this is both a good and a bad thing for a 17-year-old boy.

Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of his heroes and just being put in the same sentence with him is a major milestone. However, such comparisons, especially at his tender age, can also be detrimental to his development, as can be the mounting pressure on his young shoulders. Still, the youngster is taking it slow and is, for now, focused on first making his name back home.

So far, he’s played a total of four games for the senior team of Sporting Lisbon, having previously impressed with the U23 side, bagging five goals and two assists across 28 games played. Needless to say, his career has been quite short but it was enough to put him in the spotlight, as evidenced by the ever-growing interest from abroad.

Now, with him slowly but surely approaching adulthood, Fernandes is bound to be swarmed by European giants waiting in line for his signature. None so as some pretty big Premier League names.

TRANSFER LATEST

The latest transfer rumours state Fernandes is being courted by Arsenal. So much so that the deal could apparently even be finalised quite soon into the summer window. Still, it won’t be easy since despite being only 17 years of age, he could still be an expensive acquisition for the Gunners.

Various transfer news and updates mentioned a release clause of £41m and it will be interesting to see how the London outfit reacts to that claim. However, some other Arsenal transfer news suggests the club are looking to seal the transfer for around £13m, which would be significantly lower.

All in all, we can potentially expect the deal to still go through sooner rather than later.

PLAYER PROFILE

Whenever a player gets compared to Cristiano Ronaldo or other superstars like Luis Figo or Ricardo Quaresma, you know there is something special about him. The 17-year-old is blessed with incredible pace and extraordinary technical abilities, making it easy for him to glide past his markers and be a direct threat towards the opposition’s goal.

Since he is also pretty comfortable with both feet, this makes him unpredictable and versatile enough to slot on either of the flanks, giving his coach an incredible asset to have. Fernandes is also not a stranger to great solo runs and direct play, striking at the opponent with speed, determination and power.

The early signs are definitely great and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the future.

Victor Osimhen has the potential to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal after transfer news emerged from La Repubblica (via Sport Witness) that the north London club are ready to launch a bid for the LOSC Lille ace in the upcoming summer window.

According to the publication, the Gunners and Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli could go head-to-head for the player’s signature.

As per Sport Witness, La Repubblica’s report mainly focuses on how the Naples club are in a better financial situation than their Italian league rivals.

It is claimed that Aurelio De Laurentiis will be able to dictate the rules of summer transfers, both incoming and outgoings. Therefore, Napoli are not frightened about competition from the Gunners.

La Repubblica believe that the Emirates faithful will transform the negotiation for the forward into an auction as Mikel Arteta’s side are ready to launch for his signing.

Lille value the player around €55 million (roughly £49.3 million), and having lost Nicolas Pépé to AFC last summer, the outlet adds that the outcome may be different this time around.

Sport Witness added that there is every chance that Arsenal are being used to pressure Napoli.

Indeed, Arsenal may fancy themselves in a transfer war having persuaded Pépé to join, and they could raise funds by selling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if he wishes to leave having not signed a new contract as of yet.

Comparing their stats in their respective domestic leagues so far this season, Osimhen is not far behind the Gabonese international in the goal scoring department and has made more assists, whilst averaging more shots and dribbles per game (via Whoscored).

The Nigerian is also nine years younger than his African compatriot, giving plenty of time for himself to grow into Aubameyang’s shoes.

With money possibly raised from Auba’s sale, £49.3 million could potentially be a bargain in the long-term.

Gooners, do you think Osimhen would be a good signing at £49.3 million? Comment below!

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to raid Serie A again as Jose Mourinho is on the hunt for a new right-back this summer.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are set for talks with Atalanta ace Timothy Castagne. Spurs had been in line to sign Thomas Meunier before he joined Borussia Dortmund instead.

A source told Football Insider that the Lilywhites are closely monitoring Castagne’s situation after he admitted: “When a team like PSG or Tottenham come knocking on your door, you can’t say no.”

Spurs have arguably failed to fill the void left by Kieran Trippier and this latest development spells bad news for Serge Aurier.

As any good manager will know, sorting out a solid defence is equally as important as having a strong attack. Mourinho is well aware that he will be strapped for cash in the summer and will have to resort to signing free agents or organising swap deals in order to improve the squad as a result.

While Meunier has snubbed Spurs, the club have now turned their attentions to his international teammate instead.

Castagane has established himself as one of Europe’s brightest talents ever since he arrived at Atalanta from Genk for £5.85m in 2017. The 24-year-old has made 17 appearances in Serie A this season, scoring once, supplying one assist, winning 1.3 tackles per game and earning a pass accuracy rating of 85% so far (WhoScored).

As it stands, the Lilywhites are looking to offload Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters, which will leave Mourinho short of options on the right wing. While Castagne won’t come cheap, as his contract with the Nerazzurri is set to expire next year, Daniel Levy could use the funds generated by their sales to cover the costs.

Tottenham have grown tired of Aurier’s issues on and off the pitch, as the board feel that he has embarrassed Spurs with his actions during lockdown. Although Aurier holds a higher WhoScored rating than the Belgian, he has struggled to convince the critics he deserves a spot in the starting lineup.

It seems logical to replace Aurier with Castagne instead, as he can also play in midfield, and his versatility could be an added bonus.

Even if a move doesn’t work out as well as planned, Levy will still have gained a valuable asset to sell for a greater profit if Tottenham can entice the Atalanta defender to north London.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Timothy Castagne in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Lots of Rangers fans have slammed the latest comments from Michael Stewart, who questioned the timing of Dave King’s departure from the club.

King stepped down on Friday, with Douglas Park set to take over on an interim basis, per Glasgow Live. The former Gers chairman said he needed to put his focus into his other businesses due to current events, but insisted that a ‘task team’ will oversee the club and that funding plans with Stuart Gibson are still at an advanced stage.

Stewart though, who played for Hearts, Hibernian and Scotland, questioned the timing of King’s exit due to the uncertainty around football at the moment: “I would have thought, expected, as I speak about the leaders, to have stayed to try to see through this period,” he told BBC Sportsound.

Who said it: Klopp or Thanos?

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“The baton has been passed to Douglas Park and John Bennett and credit to them for taking it up but I am surprised that there has been this change from Dave King at this moment in time I have to say.”

It’s fair to say Stewart isn’t the most popular pundit amongst the Ibrox faithful, and fans are shaming his comments on Twitter, with many highlighting the fact that King had already stated he would leave at the end of March back in November.

Watch Rangers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where supporters have slammed Stewart and one fan said the comments are “crazy”…

Former England defender Danny Mills has said that players considerations over project restart are different depending on their paycheque, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

On Friday, West Ham United left-back Aaron Cresswell bemoaned the lack of consultation over project restart and argued there should be a player poll.

The claims came after it was confirmed the Premier League clubs would meet on Monday to discuss a return to training in a bid to restart the league in June.

However, Mills has claimed that some players may not be able to take the financial hit of not playing football for the foreseeable future.

“It is very, very difficult, conflicting and confusing,” he told Football Insider.

“Some players can take a financial hit if they had to. If they do not feel that they are safe, they could tell their club that they do not want to play and lose two, three, six months wages and that would be fine no matter what. It would not be a big issue.

“However, some players might feel pressured to go back because they cannot afford to risk losing their pay.

“It is ok for the top 5% of Premier League players to say they are not playing because they have the ability to make that choice.

“The further you go down, the harder it becomes to do that. It is so, so complicated.”

Increasing pressure

With the return of German football seemingly avoiding serious incident, the pressure to see the Premier League back in action will only mount.

The point Mills raises about footballers feeling pressured to play is valid and it is important that players only return to action once they feel comfortable.

At this point, it appears that there has been a breakdown in communication between the players and the league and that may need to be addressed before the next steps are taken.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Sheffield Wednesday have a long way to go until they know their fate for this season under Garry Monk, but given they are on the cusp of the playoffs with 2020 rapidly approaching, it can only be a good sign.

The Owls are three points away from genuinely being in contention, which isn’t a bad thing as a string of results could catapult them up the league table.

They could have even been closer to the league leaders West Bromwich Albion if they were able to hold onto their leads – in three of their last five games, a victory or a draw has been snatched from their grasp.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Several members of the squad see their contracts run out at the end of the current campaign, so it is fair to say that some may be playing for their future in south Yorkshire.

One of those is Atdhe Nuhiu, who has been at the club since 2013, having made 250 appearances, but it is time to part ways with the 30-year-old as he doesn’t quite suit Monk’s system.

At 6 foot 6, he is a colossal presence in attack, but when you have another target man next to him in Steven Fletcher, it’s just not the right balance.

He’s also not that prolific as he’s netted 45 times, which is over once every five games.

Fletcher, Sam Winnall, and Jordan Rhodes are three others that see their contracts expire this summer, so Monk could be rather short in the striking department ahead of the 2020/21.

The 40-year-old will obviously make some additions at some point, but he can save some money and add to that squad depth by promoting Preslav Borukov from the youth team as he’s a similar profile to both Fletcher and Nuhiu.

Wednesday’s official website describes the Bulgarian starlet as a ‘real physical presence in attack’ so he could be the man to fill the void should the aforementioned strikers depart the club.

Supporters at the club have called for him to feature in the past too – he looks a handful albeit against fellow youngsters…

Having now been called up at U23 level internationally, Borukov’s career is clearly on the right trajectory.

Monk should loan him out for the remainder of the season to get experience in the men’s game before a return to the first-team fold in the summer.

Charlton Athletic were left rueing in the Championship’s early kickoff on Saturday afternoon as they threw away a two-goal lead.

The Addicks succumbed to just a point with Cardiff City in town even despite going into half-time with a considerable advantage.

However, Neil Harris’ men fought back in the second period with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing setting up a nervy ending before substitute Lee Tomlin fired home the equaliser in the 73rd minute.

With so many injuries building up at The Valley, Lee Bowyer probably would have taken a point before kickoff but would have wanted more having been two goals to the good.

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A positive from the game was the introduction of youth prospect Alfie Doughty, who made his league debut when replacing Jonathan Leko 11 minutes from time.

Plenty of supporters would love to see him given a run in the side if the post-match reaction on social media is anything to go by.

One fan wants the 19-year-old forward to start over the West Brom loanee in midweek while another believed he is a much more direct option, claiming he looked to be a handful in the short time he was on the pitch.

‘Class’ and ‘mustard’ were just two other superlatives used to describe his short cameo with a further member of the home crowd stating Doughty’s lightning pace as a key attribute.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

There aren’t many more highly-regarded managers in world football than Marcelo Bielsa.

We all know about the time Pep Guardiola called him the best coach in the world, and Gabriel Batistuta saying that he’s the only coach who’s ever left a real impact on him, but the praise hasn’t stopped there.

One of the most experienced players in Leeds United’s squad has made some comments that show just how good of a manager he actually is.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s been said then?

Pablo Hernandez has claimed that he thought he knew everything there is to know about football until he came under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds.

Speaking to Graham Smyth, it was noted:

Find out a how a world-record-holding freestyler got on with the worst football in the world in the video below…

Shows how good Bielsa is

You’d expect this type of comment from a number of players in the Leeds squad, but Hernandez has worked under some elite-level managers so this is quite the statement to make.

We’re not talking about half-decent managers either.

He’s worked with the likes of Unai Emery, Luis Aragones and Vicente Del Bosque in the past, tutors who have a history of winning major honours.

Emery won several trophies at PSG and even won the Europa League on successive occasions at Sevilla. As for the final two names, they won the Euros and World Cup respectively with Spain.

Del Bosque even has two Champions League winners medal to boast from his managerial career.

The fact that Bielsa is teaching him things that he didn’t learn from any of the aforementioned managers just shows how good of a coach he actually is – something that may also bode well in terms of their promotion hopes.

On this evidence, it’s hard to believe he’s in the Championship, but the Argentine truly is one of the greatest minds in football. For a player who has worked under some of the most talented managers in the world to make these comments it’s a testament to how good he actually is.